Old and new

[New fairy lights.]

Hi everyone, I'm settling in nicely to being off now for 10 days! :-) So far I have played a round of golf and actually did surprisingly well, been to visit a lovely golf club in Ditchling, sanded and painted the front door, organised for loads of things to be delivered, and got a gardener to come round. No, I'm not posh, but I just do not have the time to look after the garden as well as it deserves so I'm going to see how much it costs and what advice they can give me.

Anyway, I have been accumulating magazines over the last few years and last night I fancied reading a magazine in bed rather than looking on the internet. I gathered together some summer magazines and came across this issue of "Country Homes and Interiors" magazine. I remember admiring this lovely house in particular and nearly fell out of bed when I realised it was Kate Forman's house (at the time I had no idea who she was). Isn't it lovely? I mean, I wouldn't want ALL my furniture painted white like hers, but it really suits her style. You can see that she has done it on a shoe string also which makes it that much more achievable for us mere mortals.

I have bought lots of things lately, but not had the time to open the packets (terrible isn't it?) let alone share them with all of you so here goes:

I ordered these pretty flower fairy lights from Dotcomegiftshop, which is great for little bits and pieces. I also ordered this door mat and pretty twine heart to go on the door. Thought it would jazz it up a bit. I've also ordered some of this fab frosted film from PurlFrost, you can choose from a range of period of contemporary designs. I've decided to have the name of the house and a border in the glass window above the door. I thought that way people won't be able to see in when you walk down the stairs! We had one made for our old house and I was so pleased with it I thought I'd order from them again.

[New plant pots.]

[New picture from Debbie's English Treasures.]

[New door mat and twine heart.]

[Wonderful window film from Purlfrost.]

I also bought this pretty picture for the guest room, which is rapidly turning into the flower room! I guess it's where I can have an experiment with that Kate Forman shabby chic style, I don't think that look goes as well with the copious amounts of original wood panneling (I can't bring myself to paint over 150+ year old wood!) and exposed bricks throughout the rest of the house.

[Guest room - too girly and shabby chic? I'm undecided.]

I've found some great companies over the last few days, 1 of them is this great carpet company: Crucial Trading, they do some great jute carpets for £11 a metre. I'm thinking of getting the whole of the downstairs done with this because it's natural, hard wearing and looks really nice. We lifted up the carpets and we do have sanded and waxed really lovely floor boards (they look like cherry wood or something like that), but having lived in a house with floorboards and knowing how cold and noisy they are I have decided against them. Besides, we don't have gas here and the house gets very cold indeed in the winter so having carpets is far more energy efficient.

Now onto some more goodies - Tim's mum went to a house sale and picked up these beauties for me, aren't they lovely? For very cheap too! A lovely solid oak chest of drawers and a nice chair. :-) It's great too because it means that my sister can have my old blue chest of drawers for her nursery, the tp can then double up as a baby changing area.

[My blue chest of drawers will now sit in my sister's nursery]

Ooh, before I head off - I've got a place at college to study a city and guilds in Interior Design, I was a bit down hearted because it was touch and go whether they were going to run the evening course, but they are now and I'm so pleased! :-)

Anyway, I'm just about to settle down for lunch. Enjoy the rest of your week! :-)